Noss on Dart bosses have spelled out the changes they are making as they scale down their massive £175m plans for the former shipyard site on the banks of the Dart.

The latest proposals unveiled yesterday in Dartmouth and Kingswear involve building a bigger and better marine academy for South Devon College on part of the 36-acre site.

But others involved cutting the number of homes on the site by more than 25 per cent, reducing the scale of the office and employment buildings and axing a multi storey car park.

The owners still aim to build around 100 new homes on the old Philip and Sons shipyard site and proposals for a hotel and conference centre are still included.

And they claim that the huge development project involving the workshops, expanded marina and the marine academy will still bring up to 250 jobs to the site.

Exhibitions detailing the latest masterplan for the site near Kingswear went on show at the Flavel Centre in Dartmouth yesterday morning and afternoon and at Kingswear Village Hall yesterday evening.

Comment forms were available at both exhibitions and Noss Marina bosses say they will continue to 'welcome' comments on the changes up to August 9.

Noss on Dart owners already have planning permission for one masterplan for the whole site which was given the go ahead three years ago.

Since then they have admitted that they have been forced to look at shaving something like £15m off the cost of the project because in the current economic climate it has become 'impossible' to carry out the original scheme.

The aim now is to submit a new set of planning applications for the changed project after consulting with the local communities.

According to the exhibition plans the 'Noss Vision' is still for a 'marine-led employment and mixed use development supported by new housing'.

And it continues: 'The partly derelict 36 acre site will be regenerated to create local jobs, boost the marine industry, retain the historic links to the river Dart and provide an attractive leisure, educational and residential development.'

One of the major changes is the reduction of 137 new homes for the site to 'around 100'.

The proposals still include the new marine academy which will be a 'larger, purpose built, better quality marine academy building' than the previous proposals.

The proposals also include a new clubhouse for Dart Sailability, a replacement road bridge across the Paignton to Kingswear railway line, an expanded marina, restored and improved slipway, improve boatyard and a 'significant contribution' to affordable housing in Dartmouth.